2 pilots eject from F-15 when it leaves runway in Illinois

MASCOUTAH, Ill. (AP) - Two pilots ejected safely from an F-15 fighter jet Tuesday morning when the aircraft left a runway while landing at a southwestern Illinois airport, military officials said.

The two U.S. active duty pilots suffered minor injuries in the 7:30 a.m. incident at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement. MidAmerica is located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of St. Louis.

Officials at the nearby Scott Air Force Base said both pilots were taken to a hospital, and one has since been released.

Scott Air Force Base officials said in February that Boeing's new F-15QA, which was designed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force, would operate out of MidAmerica and that Qatari student pilots would be trained on the aircraft there for several months.

The F-15QA involved in Tuesday's incident "was slated to be transferred to the Qatari Air Force through the Foreign Military Sales program. The incident is currently under investigation,'Å¥ the U.S. Air Force said in its statement.